Recognition of CIS International Accreditation

CIS International Accreditation is a rigorous school-wide evaluative process that measures alignment with research-based standards for professional practice in an international context and provides guidance for continuous improvement.

CIS evaluates a school’s achievement of standards across all aspects of school life, conferring CIS International Accreditation as a mark of high-quality international education focused on the development of knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary to prepare students as global citizens. Universities around the world seek out students educated at CIS-Internationally Accredited schools due to the rigour of their education, their intercultural experiences and insights, and their preparation to live and work in a globalized world.

Achievement of CIS International Accreditation demonstrates a school’s commitment to high-quality international education. This in turn can lead to recognition of a school’s educational standing by governmental Ministries and Departments of Education around the world, complementing the recognition a school receives through an educational quality assurance agency based in the country where the school is located.

The impact and range of use of the CIS International Accreditation Protocol includes over 500 schools in 121 countries. Refer to the CIS website membership directory (www.cois.org) to verify a school’s CIS International Accreditation status.

CIS is recognized as an accrediting body by the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA), a professional association for accreditors based in the U.S. CIS is a member of ICAISA to provide insight into the development of standards for the accreditation of independent schools. The CIS International Accreditation protocol is subject to a rigorous and impartial review by peers from other ICAISA accrediting bodies. ICAISA has commended and confirmed its confidence in the quality of CIS International Accreditation and has verified CIS compliance with ICAISA’s Criteria for Effective Independent School Accreditation Practices.

CIS developed its international accreditation protocol to enable schools to benchmark the quality and improvement of their educational programmes with leading international practice. The CIS International Accreditation protocol is based on the CIS Mission, Values and Code of Ethics, embracing the UN Declaration of Human Rights as a clear statement of moral purpose, and incorporates recommendations from the International Taskforce on Child Protection.

As an independent not-for-profit association, CIS does not base its international accreditation standards on any one country’s system of education, nor does CIS receive funding from any national government. CIS standards have evolved through our work across the world and are based upon research-based evidence of leading practice in international education. Our evaluation focuses on indicators of a school’s unique purpose and direction, the well-being of students, their learning, and development as global citizens.

When a school requests dual accreditation from CIS and a U.S. regional accreditation agency (MSA, NEASC, or WASC), the CIS International Accreditation framework of standards and protocol are used as the basis for the joint evaluation of schools.

As a membership and accreditation organization, CIS evaluates all aspects of school life, educationally and operationally, in alignment with CIS research-based international standards. The IB authorizes schools to adopt its curriculum and subsequently evaluates their capacity to implement and develop IB programmes to have a greater impact on student outcomes through the development of teacher and leader practice.

CIS and the IB have a Memorandum of Understanding in place to align IB re-authorization visits with CIS International Accreditation evaluation visits, at a school’s request. Our respective evaluation processes take place simultaneously with the IB evaluating its curriculum and how it has been implemented as part of the CIS International Accreditation school-wide protocol.

A list of countries and regional bodies that recognize CIS as an international accreditation body for primary and secondary schools can be found on the CIS Global Recognition webpage.

When a secondary school does not offer a national or international leaving exam to its students, a governmental body or university will seek other evidence as it considers the rigour of a student’s academic programme, including the school’s accreditation status.

“As a vital step in the credential evaluation process, it is the responsibility of the credential evaluator (for example, a university admissions representative) to determine whether the institution (or the programme) is appropriately recognized within its own jurisdiction, and if not, whether it has relevant recognition elsewhere. This is particularly important at the secondary level because many institutions and programs were developed with the intention of preparing students for post-secondary education in other countries. When international schools adopt international curriculum, quality assurance can be viewed as occurring through the international organization offering the qualification (e.g. IB, IGCSE).”

“While educational recognition has evolved, relying on accreditation as a quality assurance mechanism is still vital to higher education institutions and other professionals who work with international students, and parents/guardians trying to find the best education for their child. It is as important as ever to have in place transparent and practical accreditation standards because …the continued growth of international students requires the improvement of international oversight.”³

³ https://www.taicep.org/taiceporgwp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Changing-Landscape-of-Accreditation-Guide-to-Secondary-School-Recognition-in-the-United-States.pdf

CIS and the U.S. regional accrediting bodies, with whom CIS regularly partners (NEASC, MSA and WASC), accredit school-wide educational and operational practices. We each verify that a rigorous curriculum and student assessment system are in place, however we do not prescribe nor verify the type(s) of curriculum offered or the requirements for the issuance of a high school diploma. It is up to each school to determine which curricula to follow and how students are assessed. As accreditors, we evaluate whether systems and structures are in place to ensure the chosen curricula are well articulated, taught, understood, and the outcomes properly assessed.

A frequent misunderstanding is that an accreditation agency “accredits” or validates a high school diploma. This view can form internationally because specific countries do validate secondary leaving credentials, for example in the UK, via an inspection model which includes a review of assessment using UK exams. This is not true in the U.S. given its federally devolved system of education, where authority is held at the state level and there is no national school-leaving exam. Instead, universities in the U.S. and globally may consider external exams as part of their admissions process, for example, the U.S.-based SAT or ACT exam, an IB exam, or other national and international exams.

Each university decides how an applicant’s secondary school accreditation factors into their admission decision. Many U.S.-based higher education institutions recognize and value CIS International Accreditation as a mark of high-quality international education. CIS Higher Education members join CIS to actively seek out and consider students from CIS-Internationally Accredited schools for admission. Currently over 600 universities around the world are members of CIS, signifying a strong interest in students who are graduating from CIS schools.

The Council of International Schools is an approved accrediting agency for private elementary and secondary schools as identified by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

Note: Visa requirements for international students vary by country which in turn impact admissions requirements at a country’s higher education institutions.

It is important to verify each university’s minimum admissions requirements to determine how they will assess a student’s academic performance, experiences and eligibility. A university may consider CIS International Accreditation as a factor in their review of the educational environment at a student’s secondary school in addition to their specific admission requirements used to assess students individually.